Li Bin
Since the second half of last year, Heilongjiang soybean processing industry began to suffer from the impact of imported GM soybeans. By the first half of this year, genetically modified products accounted for more than half of the soybean processing industry. While some experts shouted “who will save domestic soybeansâ€, other experts suggested that the development of genetically modified soybeans is the only way to rejuvenate the Chinese soybean industry. In fact, "two soybeans" is a microcosm of the dispute over the commercialization of genetic transformation in China. On March 17th and June 2nd this year, the newspaper reported that "Non-GMO Soybeans are in Peril," and "The Security of China's Soybean Industry Worries Behind the Rising of Edible Oil Price." Many CPPCC members have expressed concern for the problems. In this issue, we are still paying close attention to issues related to GM agriculture. --editor
"The last piece of land in the domestic soybean and soybean oil market is facing a loss;"
"Foreign capital is being deployed in Heilongjiang, the main soybean producing area in China";
"The fats and oils in Heilongjiang Province have basically stopped working and production stopped."
"The Heilongjiang non-genetically modified soybeans are undergoing a war with imported genetically modified soybeans."
In the past two months, similar excitement has continued to appear in the media, and the panic atmosphere has spread throughout the upstream and downstream links of the soybean industry chain in Heilongjiang Province. "Once the imported GM soybeans occupy the Heilongjiang market, the endangered will not only be the interests and survival of the local farmers who have lived on soybeans for generations, but also the source and environment of the Heilongjiang soybeans will be destroyed. What's more, this is a serious matter. It will affect the country’s food security,†a person in charge of the Heilongjiang Soybean Association called for.
While soybean producers and farmers chanted “who will rescue domestic soybeans,†topics such as whether or not genetically modified crops are to be commercialized and the safety of genetically modified foods have once again become hot spots in the industry.
Soybean
“Now China imports more than 30 million tons of soybeans each year from abroad, most of which are genetically modified products. The entire soybean industry is almost always controlled by foreign companies.†On June 7, Cao Xingsui, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and director of the Research Department of the China Agricultural Exhibition Center, was In an interview with this reporter, China’s northeast was originally a golden belt for growing soybeans around the world, but since China’s opening of imports of genetically modified soybeans and soy products, it has become the world’s largest importer of soybeans and genetically modified soybeans, and imported in 2008. 1/2 of the world's genetically modified soybeans.
On May 11, the General Administration of Customs issued an early warning that in the first quarter of this year, China’s cumulative soybean imports exceeded 10 million tons, an increase of 30.4% year-on-year, of which Heilongjiang Province's growth rate was as high as 84.5 times. In April, China imported 3.71 million tons of soybeans, a year-on-year increase of 55.2%. At present, genetically modified soya bean oil accounted for 80% of Heilongjiang's market share, and about 90% of soybean meal (information, market) products are genetically modified soybean meal.
The large increase in the number of soybean imports is partly due to the fact that the purchase price of the State Reserve Soybeans is higher than the market price and the import price, and a large number of oil refineries are turning to imported soybeans with lower cost of use. At present, the domestic soybean purchase price is 3,700 yuan/ton, while the import price is less than 3,200 yuan, and the difference is 500 yuan/ton. In this case, some companies that are processing coastal domestically produced soybeans also refuse to purchase soybeans in major producing areas. In the five months since the harvest season in October last year, Heilongjiang sold only 1.7 million tons of soybeans to other provinces, which was a sharp drop from the previous two years of 3 million to 4 million tons.
“Some multinational corporations have completed the strategic layout in the Chinese market, controlled the actual processing capacity of 70% of soybean in China, and at the same time controlled the import of soybeans in China. The world’s largest four multinational companies ADM, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dafu has controlled 80% of China's imports of soybeans.†Cao Xingsui told reporters that the company’s strategy is very clear: buy US soybeans that enjoy huge agricultural subsidies at low prices, sell them to China’s crushing enterprises at high prices, and earn a monopoly. Trade profits.
In addition, for soybean oil producers, the export rate of imported genetically modified soybeans is 21%, which is higher than the oil export rate of domestic soybeans by 17%, which is also one of the factors that manufacturers choose.
"Although domestic soybeans have low oil content, our soybean protein content is very high, and it is a high-quality soybean. Japan, South Korea and other countries will import high-protein soybeans from Heilongjiang each year." Cao said that at present, we are avoiding the use of soybeans. Long, with low oil content that part of the disadvantages and people competing on a product platform, "This is not a market issue, is a basic research problem, the state should increase investment to study how to use this high-protein soybeans to achieve high-protein soybean High production value."
Safety supervision problems
In addition to the market itself, all current controversies over GM crops focus on two points: the negative impact of genetically modified crops and GM foods on the ecological environment and human health.
“The country’s policy orientation on genetic modification is to rely on me as the mainstay, to be independent, to seize the commanding heights of independent intellectual property rights, to be cautious, and to consider repeatedly to ensure safety and environmental protection.†Cao Xingsui stated that in the debate on genetic modification at home and abroad, China The government’s mind is very calm. After all, it involves the future food source and safety issues of 1.3 billion people. Especially when food safety is so severe, “prudent opening up†is a basic principle.
At present, China's laws and regulations in the field of genetic modification are relatively sound.
According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Council promulgated the "Regulations on the Safety Management of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") in 2001 according to the general practice of international organizations and most countries in the world.
High status. Zhou Ping, Director of the General Department of the Science and Education Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, said in an interview recently.